Thursday, April 13, 2006

Telenovela Alborada, #33

This is a recap of the Univision telenovela Alborada. In order to read the whole post, you click "read the rest" at the bottom of this summary!

If you are new, please visit the recaps in ORDER - they are listed to the right under a picture of Doña Juana and Modesta. See the bottom of this post for more information.

The new telenovela website will be http://caraycaray.blogspot.com. My tag-team recappers and I have decided to watch the first episode or two of La Fea Mas Bella and decide if we want to recap it at all. I have to tell you, friends, from the previews it looks pretty bad! Nevertheless, that site, http://caraycaray.blogspot.com, will be open for any future recaps, of ANY telenovelas. If you want to be a poster, regularly or occasionally, drop me a line (or a comment) and I'll give you posting rights there.

Wednesday: The Regidor's wife, ever a gossip, points out to Juana that her "son" Luis is handsome and will marry again, and says the Panamanian (Hipólita) is sexy...

Luis flirts a bit with a woman's two daughters - the ever imprudent Diego butts in to say he can't recommend his cousin as a suitor, because Luis can't be faithful to a woman - "See that one over there? She's born him a bastard!" Luis grabs him by the collar. Diego: "Are you bothered by the truth?" "You want truth? I could give you truth ..."

Hipólita, bedraggled in her tiara, reminds Antonio he'd said they could go to Andrés and Marina's banquet. "Why do you want to go? Does Luis's presence here bother you? We can't leave, we haven't congratulated the newlyweds."

Meanwhile, at the Andrés-and-Marina wedding banquet at Lara, there are well-dressed dwarves, a harpist, and grapes. Cristóbal, Felipe and Marcos worry away at their same topic in the usual way, I just can't bear to go through it again.

Francisco sidles up to his son and starts nagging away about "his" new hacienda and the improvements he wants to make. "Could we talk about this later, dad?" "When can I get money?" "I need to consult Marina." "Aren't you the man in the marriage?"

Sara confirms to Cristóbal: she was present when Carlos gave "Diego," his baby with the burned leg, to the old dude of Valverde (he wasn't so old back then) who carried him to the river's mouth and safety.

The Regidor tells Luis: "The problems of such an important family as yours should not be aired in court. Make peaceful arrangements!" "The problem is, I'm so tired of Diego." The Regidor allows as how this is the general sentiment. "Still, find a peaceful solution for your mother's sake, she's so ill..."

Hipólita goes inside and runs into Luis, who says: "You want to talk?" "Yes, but not here." "Why, afraid somebody will see?" "Yes." "Antonio?" "Yes! Anyway, too much has happened between us to be resolved with a few words, especially when you're so resentful." She tells him the baby to come is his.

Antonio enters. There's a scene. Luis stalks out. Antonio to his wife: "Give him Rafael, it's the only solution. You're going to have another one anyway." She's aghast! but he continues: "Do you really want me to kill him?" "No, I want you to give me freedom." "To go with him?" "To go where I please! I don't want to live with you."

Antonio barges in on Luis: "Keep your mitts off my wife." "I won't give up Rafael." "Take him then!" "You don't care about her." "She's my wife before God and man." "She may be your wife but she's my woman." What excellent rams in heat they make! Antonio challenges Luis to a duel and he accepts.

Diego flirts drunkenly with Hipólita and then confides to Antonio: "Friend, I have to boink the fatty tonight and I don't know if I can. Help me!" He collapses and is carried off giggling insanely!

Juana sinks into her bed, exhausted, grateful she got through the ordeal without fainting. Modesta gives her laudanum.

Antonio and Hipólita, back home, have their usual argument. "I beg you, let me go, I swear I'll disappear, nobody will see me, you can say I've gone back to Panama, after a while you can say I'm dead." "NO NO NO NONONO. Leave me my condition as a man! Don't humiliate me as my mother did, she always said I wasn't a proper man, I swear I am, I a man." He raises his whip. Hipólita looks horrified.

Diego tries to avoid his hefty bride in bed as she pursues him. "I can't do it." "Did you drink too much?" "No, you know what, it's YOU! I don't know how your husband could do it with you - look at you, you're a horrendous fatso!"

In contrast, Andrés tenderly leads Marina into a nice room. (Mirtha follows, reminds Marina of her request (to be her personal servant) then retires. Andrés says he doesn't think Mirtha would make Marina a good companion.) Then lovey words, nice kisses, mutual grape feeding, etc.

Ada tells Hipólita: "Antonio doesn't want you to leave cause folks will think he's less of a man than Luis." Hipólita says she can't take any more. I've heard that before.

Victoria and Sara are happy planning their move to Monforte, where they'll live near Andrés and Marina. Sara has realized, with Mirta's information that it's Luis who has a burned leg, blah blah blah. Victoria wants to confront Juana but Sara says: "Vengeance is never good."

Diego's new bride, furious, tells Juana and Modesta: "I'm not used to this treatment. I understand Diego couldn't consummate the marriage because he was too drunk, but I can't let him insult me - he called me a horrible fatso. If he likes scrawny girls, why did he marry me? [What an excellent point.] If he doesn't apologize, I won't live with him."

Luis enters, the bride leaves. "The Regidor wants me to settle amicably, and I'm ok with that, but I insist on dissolving the partnership, the thing between Diego and me is intolerable." Juana tries to get some leverage with her cancer. He changes the subject and, telling her he has proof in the form of the old dude, tries to get her to admit the baby-switching. She doesn't. He leaves, sad that she can't stop lying to him even as she dies.

Juana and Modesta confer. "Who knew of the burned leg?" "Sara." "I have to find out - Well, Gasca told us where Sara lives, let's go see her."

Luis tells Cristóbal and Marcos: Juana can't stop lying. "No wonder, she doesn't want to put a rope around her son's neck." "The only true thing she told me is that she's going to die soon." They decide to go to Valverde and find the old dude. "OK, but after my duel with Antonio."

Post-consummation, Marina and Andrés pack. They look happy and kiss a lot.

Sara decides to leave all her furniture behind, it holds too many memories. Andrés and Marina come in - on their way to the honeymoon they will stop to say goodbye to Isabel and to Andrés's family. Victoria fusses over road safety and Andrés says he'll take good care of her daughter. "All I ask is that you love and respect her." Marina asks Sara to find work for Mirtha and she agrees.

Hipólita is exhausted, as she often is. She doesn't see a way out. Antonio, who's willing to kill or be killed ostensibly on her behalf, stalks through without saying hello.

Juana and Modesta go to see Sara, but she's already gone. Higinio tells them cheerfully: "Sara's never coming back, but I'd be happy to help you." They leave.

Marina cries, telling Isabel she's sorry to be going so far away and she'll miss Isabel's hideous cat. And gives her a cameo. Visits are promised. Lots of crying.

Thursday: Andrés somewhat resentfully gives his dad a big chest of money, as requested. Francisco says: "You'll be glad, everything I do will be for you some day." Andrés wants to slip out but dad nags about "a few things. ... when will you be back from your honeymoon?"

Marina and Andrés make sweet goodbyes and Marina tells everybody: Higinio will remain in the old hideout and can help out if necessary. [I think he'll be an excellent replacement for La Poderoso, he was one of the most competent people in town.]

Carmela whispers to Hipólita, Come to my place at 5 pm to meet with Luis. Then Carmela chats with Marcos about finding him a girl. Carmela is prejudiced against some girl she saw Marcos flirting with - she might have been a Jew! Marcos says he wouldn't care. Felipe rides up and says Luis won't be able to make his appointment with Hipólita, he's got Dueling Business.

Cristóbal and Felipe talk to Antonio, whose new guy Dagoberto stays for the conference. They say Luis wants a peaceful conciliation...

But when Ada reports about the upcoming duel to Hipólita, Hipólita storms over to Antonio's guy lair to say: "This is between Luis and me, I won't allow this stupidity." As Antonio hustles her out, Cristóbal says Luis's only condition is that he wants to be able to see Rafael. Antonio shrieks "NO NO NO, if Luis won't get completely out of our lives the duel is on."

Hipólita: "One of them will die." Ada: "I told you it would end like this. When men behave like dogs you can't stop them!" Hipólita rushes all three of them out the door - she's taking them to the Guevara estate so she can talk to Luis.

Diego is fencing and falls. His fencing partner says: "Your wedding wore you out, let's do this another day." Diego asks for some wine and when the other guy isn't looking he stands right next to him and slashes him (well, supposedly, there's a little continuity goof here, I'm sure you TIVO people saw it) and says, "See how I can do it?"

Diego staggers giggling and shrieking toward the palace, grabbing women as he goes. He sees Luis and holds a sword point to his throat. Luis: "Attack me and you'll be sorry." Diego leaves, shrieking... Vicente and Luis agree: Diego is crazier every day.

Dagoberto to Antonio: "These conditions Luis gave the miners are very generous." "You told me you worked for the previous Count?" "Yes, I was his administrator." "What was he like?" "An honest, good man." "In other words, nothing like Diego..."

And now it turns out that DAGOBERTO ALSO was at the fire at the chulano! And saw the little "Diego" get his leg burned! And was there when Doña Juana left town with the baby!

Juana tells Diego: Apologize to your bride! He repeats, "She's a horrible fatty and also "ronca" (hoarse?)..." "But you chose her! and all Cuencas is going to know about this!" "It's YOUR fault, mom, you should have advised me better! At my wedding banquet I saw some really cute chicks." "Well apologize to her, and you'd better get her pregnant or there won't be any little heirs and isn't that why you married?" "OK, it won't be easy, but I'll try." She says Luis is going ahead with the business breakup and hopes it will be peaceful. He asks if she feels better - he says he himself is getting better and when he's back in shape he's going to give a lesson to "That Dog." (Luis)

Luis says Antonio obviously WANTS to kill him. His guys proposed swords, as Luis preferred. Diego will be Antonio's second. "Diego's nuttier all the time." "It's the syphilis." "He's getting to be more and more dangerous." "No doubt - he's threatening half the world with his sword..."

Hipólita shows up at the Guevara estate with Rafael (completely sedated) in her arms. She goes to Luis's guy lair and offers: I'll GIVE Rafael to you if you'll call off the duel! I'll give him over today and bring the rest of his clothes tomorrow!

Luis is very lovey and talks about their new child! As for taking Rafael, Luis says of course not! But she really doesn't want him to duel! So he says he'll give in to all Antonio's demands and never see Rafael - or her - or the baby to be - again! Much sobbing. He gives some wrapped up thing to her and says, we'll never see each other again!

Isabel takes Ada and Rafael (who is TOTALLY ASLEEP IN BROAD DAYLIGHT when any normal child would be running around and kicking things! what have they done to this boy!) to her room and hears about the duel. Isabel doesn't see what the problem is, she thinks Luis should just kill Antonio and everything will be fine. Ada says Hipólita will feel remorse all her life if that happens. "And what if Antonio kills him?" "Nah, Luis is really good." "They say Antonio is, too."

Luis and Hipólita arrive, he tells Isabel he'll apologize and call off the duel. On their way out they see Eloise grandly sweeping in, all are introduced, Eloise and her servant sweep off to gossip. In the castle, Diego apologizes to Eloise, who reminds him: "I'm a fine and educated woman, accustomed to being treated with propriety." He kisses her and they pass.

Meanwhile, outside, Antonio sweeps in on his horse to see Hipólita standing next to Luis, who is holding Rafael in his arms. All chummy. Luis says: "Before you lose your stirrups..."

Perder los estribos: "fly off the handle, lose your cool."

... I'm apologizing - I'll give them both up and stay away except in case of emergency." Antonio is huffing and puffing like a giant horned toad. Luis: "What more do you want? I've given you satisfaction. If what you want is to kill or be killed, say so."

Asuncion tells her daughter Catalina she doesn't want to go to the new hacienda with Francisco, she wants to stay at Lara for a while longer. "Just the two of us out there in the boonies? I'd die of sadness." Cristóbal arrives and hears the situation. Catalina: "Ma, what if you told dad I'm pregnant and I need you?" Cris: "But we can't have lying, now ..." Catalina, coyly: "What if it isn't a lie?" Happy hugs etc all round. Francisco arrives and is told. He still refuses to let his wife stay - he wants her out in the boonies cooking his supper and enduring his insults. He tells Catalina if she needs help she should hire a servant.

Diego and Antonio discuss the dissolution of the partnership. Diego tells Antonio the rumors about all the money being Luis's are lies. "You should be glad to be quit of that desgastado ..."

Desgastado: worn out, stale

Diego also pish-tushes the story about not being able to pay the debt to Isabel. Then, changing the subject, Antonio tells Diego: "Don't joke about Hipólita." "You're so picky (quisquilloso)! Friends should tolerate each other's little chascarillos." I knew by the way Diego drew out this word so cheerfully that it wouldn't be in my dictionary, but friends, I have an unabridged dictionary too! So, for you, I toddled off to look in it so I could report that a chascarillo is, as you might expect - a joke.

Juana comes to Luis to do more begging. He tells her he understands and forgives the favoritism she's always showed towards Diego, but now he, Luis, needs the truth about everything so he can have some peace. He tells her he's going to Valverde. She staggers off to tell Modesta: "He'll find the old dude from the chalana! We're lost! I have to tell Diego to run and hide!" Modesta says that will signal guilt. "Then I, myself, will take all the blame and say Diego never knew!"

Perla barfs in the street, and as usual, Marcos is loafing around watching. He takes her home as Ramon and Arcadio, those bad pennies who are always turning up, watch and listen. Perla reviews with Marcos. He says he really likes her and will help whenever she needs him. He says he won't tell Hipólita or Luis - however, we soon see that Ramon, who hopes to get some money for the information, will! (Tell Hipólita, I mean...)

Luis reviews with Isabel. Nothing new.

Hipólita sobs and sobs while Rafael eats, placidly unconcerned. My kids would have been bawling their heads off if I'd been crying like that. Antonio comes in coldly and demands that Hipólita comply with her word, and also never leave the house without telling him exactly where she's going. Yuk!

Friday: No show. Just one week left!

New updates Wednesday and Saturday. The list of Alborada recaps is to the right - below the picture of Modesta and Doña Juana, just above the elephant. Click on the numbers in order!

40 Comments:

I'm still obsessing over that three legs of a cat phrase, since it seems the agreement is poor. I think it's a chunk of a larger phrase I found on google, "No le busque tres patas al gato sabiendo que tiene cuatro" Don't look for three legs on a cat when you know there are four. Filipe was sure they already knew the truth; Cristóbal was continuing to offer alternate possibilities, so Felipe gives him the old three legs of a cat idiom.

My searching for caray is less satisfactory. It´s not in my dictionary, but I finally found an online translator that gave an answer at http://translation2.paralink.com/. It gave the word "crikey" ????? Dictionary.com seems to think crikey is an english word:

Main Entry: crikeyPart of Speech: interjectionDefinition: an exclamation of surprise, a mild oath; cf. criminy, crimineEtymology: euphemism for `Christ'

Boy, "caray" doesn't seem enough like "cristo" to be a euphemism for it.

I only discovered Alborada at the tailend of Hipolita's amnesia storyline. But with your wonderful recaps, I've managed to get the whole story straight, especially since my Spanish is practically non-existent. They've also been great for the nights that I wasn't able to catch the show due to work (and the lack of a VCR player -- dumped it in favor of an all DVD household. Who would have thought that I'd actually *really* need it?).

I'm sorry that it's coming to an end; its too bad that it can't go on and on like an American soap.

Fernando Colunga has definitely got to be one of the sexiest men I've seen on television in quite some time. I almost fell out of my chair when he took off his shirt to change clothes for Diego's wedding reception.

Cristobal and Catalina are my favorite couple though. I thought that they're "deathbed" marriage was very touching and sweet and I also like how he treats her like an equal unlike the majority of the other men who see "their" women as their property.

I've never watched a telenovela before and only stopped for this one due to seeing Fernando Calunga all decked out and looking incredibly fine while flipping through the channels.

Again, thanks to you (and your co-bloggers) for your hardwork so that those of us with a less-then-stellar grasp of Spanish could follow along.

I agree with starting a drive to have Alborada rerun, I'd loved to have seen it from the very beginning.

The word “ronca” has two meanings. As a noun it means “hoarse” and as a verb it means “snore.” He says, “además, ronca.” “Besides, she snores.”

The word “caray” is a euphemism for a very bad word indeed, and I would not suggest that it be added to one’s everyday vocabulary. The word is “carajo,” and is a vulgar word for penis. As an exclamation, it would be equivalent of our saying “Shit!” Another expression would be “Vete al carajo”—“Go to hell.” A related euphemis is “caramba.”

I thought Luis’ use of the expression “perder los estribos” was particularly apt, since Antonio is on a horse. It means literraly “to lose one’s stirrups.”

Melinama's recap said:"Much sobbing. He gives some wrapped up thing to her and says, we'll never see each other again!"

I think what he gave her was the necklace with the painted dove on it that Martin was going to sell for her when she was short of cash on the road from Veracruz way back at the beginning of the novela. As we know, Luis bought it and used it to find out who Hipólita was. Several weeks ago, he was looking at it fondly. I never understood why he hadn't given it back to her before.

"Crikey" is an English word. It's a very old fashioned exclamation; something Bertie Wooster might say.

I like the three legs of a cat explanation. It's a folksy way of applying Occam's Razor - the simplest explanation is probably the true one.

...so the new blog is basically named something filty? Great! (And I say this without sarcasm; I'm easily amused.)

I knew La Fea Mas Bella didn't look interesting, but I didn't realize how truly awful it promises to be until I saw last night's preview. Oi. I've started taping the last few of Alborada, just in case I'm desperate for a fix once it ends. ^^; Though I intend to migrate to Caray, Caray anyway - your recaps are just too much fun to leave behind! ("Friend, I have to boink the fatty tonight..." *Falls over and giggles Diego-ishly* Oh, too rich! I did understand what he said when he told her why he wouldn't, which I was quite proud of...)

Well, empirically speaking, I don't think "Caray, Caray" can be really bad, because so many nice people say it. My mentee's family say it around the kids. And the very proper Isabel says it! I'm going to take issue with whomever said it was dirty...

Another way to look at it: "darn" is related to "damn" but it isn't improper at all.

I would like to follow over to caraycaray.blogspot.com. I'm a little confused about permissions for posting and such... I've seen others leave their email so I'll do that if it helps lmhoines@comcast.net

Hi, I am from Mexico City but recently moved to Canada and was only able to watch the first month of Alborada back in Mexico. I guess you can imagine how wonderful it was for me to find this place. Thank you so much to Melinama and the others that have helped with the recaps.

Catalina, I want to let you know that "caray" is not a bad word. You could say is more like saying "shoot" instead of "shit".

And one can use the "caray" expression in either good situations or bad situations that surprise you.

Yep, caray is really just an exclamation. As the other poster said, we got darn from damn, and I'm sure we say shoot instead of shit and Gosh instead of God, and so on. Also, Rocio Durcal a much beloved and famous Spanish singer who sadly passed away recently, had a hit with a song where she used the phrase caray over and over. I never thought of it much before but now I find myself using it.

Titere : I guess it had a slightly different meaning where I grew up. The word meant, basically, a hoodlum. Not necessarily a puppet although I see now that was the word's original meaning. Sometimes, when a very young child misbehaves in a manner that is amusing to the parent, the parent might say, "Mira titere! Pero que sinverquenza eres!, or something like that. When I see Felipe, I think he has the heart of a titere, or thug (tough guy). Heh-heh - wasn't he the one that said they could just make Antonio.... disappear?

Question: about how much time has gone by since Hipolita first arrived in Cuencas?

Di: You asked how long Hipólita has been in Cuencas? Well, I can only recall two time periods being mentioned. At one point, Carmela tells Felipe that it has been 40 days since Martin was killed and a little later, when Andres and Diego got engaged, their weddings were to be held in two months. Prior to Martin being killed, you had Hipólita staying at Las Tunas, then at the Convent, then hiding out in Valverde and then at the Palacio de Lara. So I would guess that she has been in Cuencas for four or five months - and pretty much a different gown every single day! (except when she was in the Convent and at the Pirate Queen's place).

No, no, no. "Caray" is not bad at all. It is a euphemism for another word that is. A euphemism, according to my Webster dictionary is "the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant." For example, we sometimes say "darn," which is a euphemis for "damn." Or we might say "gee whiz" which is a euphemism for "Jesus Christ." Sometimes you might see the old-fashioned expression "Egad!" so as not to say "My god." Get it? Every language has these expressions which go back to a time when saying naughty words was very much to be avoided (unlike today, unfortunately). These words, like "caray" for "carajo" are ways to exclaim, but not use a bad word.If you don't believe me, look up "caray" online at the website for the Real Academia Española (www.rae.es). It says quite clearly "euph. por carajo." Jheezh!

Well, caray caray, I left this on a different day, but go here and you will not regret it, go to the next one, and you will really like me. This is Univision, and do it just for fun, just copy and paste. Enjoy!

I love your recaps, they are so entertaining, and really fill in the gaps for me as my spanish is not that great.

Y'know over on the Univision Alborada forum there is a huge thread devoted to that scene earlier this week when Luis took off his shirt. Caray caray, whatta hunka man!!! Beefcake, as we used to say in the 70s.

La Fea Mas Bella is a Mexican remake of the popular Colombian telenovela Betty La Fea which aired in the late 90s. I did not see it, but it was hailed by many as refreshingly feminist bc the protagonist was not your traditional telenovela beauty. . . she looked more like a "real" woman, in other words. I do remember reading, however, a Salon article which said that the series ended very conventionally and sold out its original promise of being different and more enlightened. Here's a link to an article about Betty La Fea, its immense popularity and some other articles about it.

I am going to watch the first few episodes of La Fea Mas Bella just to see if it's any good but Alborado -- and that scene with Luis sans camisa -- is a hard act to follow. Even my ten-year-old son is hooked on Alborado (he especially likes the swordfights).

I read a while back on the blog that all the actors of Alborada were going to be on the Christina show but I don't remember the date and time. Does anyone know the date? I don't want to miss it. Thanks.

Hey Swingbolder, regarding that scene with Luis changing his shirt, would you have happened to have found a screen cap of that scene in the forum? I think I've looked in the right place but I can't find the thread you're referring to. I really want to email something from this particular scene to my friend. There's plenty of skin shots of Fernando Colunga out there, but they tend to be posers, which I dislike, and also they're not current and my friend is doubting he can possibly look as good as I describe.

Dunno if anyone would be interested (or if someone already posted this) but Placido Domingo released an album in February with the Alborada theme along with some old Mexican standards and it features some of the incidental music from the novela by it's composer/orchestrator Jorge Avendano. Not exactly as cool as having it on DVD, but a nice piece of memorabilia. Take care,Margarita

Actually, I just looked at the Yahoo TV listings and it looks like the Cristina episode right after the Alborada finale (which looks like it might be 90 minutes instead of the usual 60 - the description says 60, but there is nothing listed between Cristina and Alborada and Cristina is listed with a start time of 10:30 PM EST) will feature Lucero, Colunga, Romo, and Carla Estrada. Then, for the following Monday's episode (the 24th) at it's usual 10:00 EST (9:00 Central) it's said to be featuring the cast of Alborada. Sooooo, if you're taping on Friday the 21st (or carving out a niche if time) you might want to set your VCR to tape a 90 minute Alborada followed by a 60 minute Cristina (it's scheduled to end at 11:00 EST as usual, but the show is normally 60 minutes long) just in case. Worse case scenario you'll end up with 30-90 minutes of extra stuff you can record over later. Otherwise, you might miss the last 30 minutes of Alborada ever (That would just kill me!) and some additional Cristina/Alborada time in addition to the April 24th episode of Cristina.Happy watching,Margarita

Yes, I'm with "Anonymous" above -- I'd love to see a screencap of Luis without his shirt. I swear I just about fell out of my chair during that scene. I too was trying to describe him/it to a friend of mine but words failed me.

Hi there. I'm new to Alborada. I am learning Spanish and I was watching univision to see how I was going with it. THEN.... a commercial came on with one of the finest men I have EVER seen. My husband is the only other dark and lovely man that ever hit me like that!! I've been watching since. Oh My God!!! When he took off that shirt the other night I heard choirs of angels, trumpets, etc. The sound guy should put the cymbal crashes on that man when he takes off that shirt because that is some serious drama!! They should put a warning label on before he disrobes. My husband works out of state and it's kinda cruel to have someone like that on tv every night! I have also tried to tell my friends about him but unless you experience the gloriousness first hand, you can't explain.... I do have another comment about the show. Antonio cannot really be gay because if he was, I think he'd be dueling with Hippolita for that South American yumminess!! GRRRRRR!! There just aren't words to describe him. It's like gazing into the sun for the first time..... sigh.what will we do when it's over? Has he been signed to a new show? I would be happy to listen to him read the phone book for an hour every night.

please forgive my ignorance!. I was not in any way trying to offend anyone. If I upset anyboy I truly apologize. I was so blinded by the beauty of Fernando I got wound up! Please forgive me...I guess that's why I don't blog because I always put my foot in it.

Wow, the whole thing on DVD, that is sorely tempting. Anybody happen to know if the closed captioning in spanish is encoded? I gather these were burned off the airwaves (surely that represents a copywrite violation to sell them???) and if they were broadcast with CC I think it would be on the DVDs. I sent an email to a seller who is offering a number of complete telenovelas (including Amor Real) asking this question, but I normally have poor luck getting answers from emails to sellers.

All I know is that I can't wait every night to see this damn show and the other night when Fernando Colunga had his shirt off, it wasn't long enough - oh my god!!! I'm with the person who wants this show to rerun, and soon, oh boy, Fernando is so .............Thanks to everyone who does the translation because it helps with my pathetic Spanish and my even worse guess at what's happening most of the time.Viva Fernando!!!M.B.

Hi all, first-time postee. I just wanted to say, great recaps, they are too funny. And to tell 'lilian' that I purcased the entire DVD series of the novela "Juana la Virgen" off of Ebay. It was recorded from Venezualan tv and no, it didn't have Closed Captioning. I don't know about telenovelas in Mexico though.

It ended up being a good thing that there was no Closed Captioning. It made me a better listener! My comprehension really shot up.

Dear Lilian,I, too, have considered the auctions on Ebay. For example, the only way to get the complete version of Amor Real is to buy it off someone who has taped it from tv. I asked one auction seller if there were subtitles, and they said "no."

However, I have to think this may be subjective to one's television. Mine is equipped for closed captioning, and my tapes of Alborada come up with the cc intact. So, I *think* if your tv has cc ability, you can see the subtitles anyway. But don't hold me to that! ;-)

hey there! I was wondering what you guys found more helpful when learning spanish, the books you can buy or watching univision. I do both. I watch 2 to three hours a day and study for at least one.I had four years of french and it seeems to be helping me understand the structure ot the language. I was just curious because I need to learn quickly. We're moving to new orleans and the hispanic population is exploding and i am hoping to work in the health care field.About the show, I know that Diego is the bad guy, but he is hilarious!! I enjoy his madness. I feel bad for all the women he's infecting though. Is syphilis only contagious in the early stages? I hope so otherwise half the show would have it!I don't know what I'll do when alborada is over. I have a big jar of change I've been saving and I'll be cashing it in to buy the dvds because no Fernando is a major emergency!! I have a serious crush on him. I still think he needs cymbal crashes any time he is in the room!!!cat

A big thanks to all of you who post the recaps of this really fun telenovela online, so those of us, who only have a basic understanding of Spanish (like me -- I'm an embarrassment to my fellow Mexicans) can keep up with everything that's going on with the show. I happened to find this show by simply doing some channel-surfing, when I saw Fernando Colunga, with those "bedroom eyes", that beautiful, long, flowing black mane (I sincerely hope it's his real hair -- if it isn't, he really should wear it like that -- magnificent!), and that unbelievably built body. When I saw that, the channel-surfing came to a screeching halt. The episode where's he's changing clothes for Diego's wedding, my jaw hit the floor when he took his shirt off and showed all those rippling muscles -- ahh, if only my husband were built like that! (HAH!) Plus, I like the idea of a soap opera that's set in "olden times", not like the soaps that are currently playing today -- it's refreshing. Anyway, if there's an initiative to get Alborada on again in re-runs, count me in. I don't know if it's even available on video or DVD, but heck, I'd buy it in an instant! (if anyone knows, I'd appreciate your letting me know!) Anyway, thanks again for taking the time to update the series in English for us non-Spanish-speaking folks -- I'm only sorry that I didn't start getting into this show sooner (I only started watching it a coupla months ago).

In the last episode you recapped, you stated that Rafael was sleeping, he was not. He was playing with Diego's daughters and then they take him upstairs with Hipolita's servant and Luis' aunt. Also about the whole gato thing, is "las cuatro patas al gato". As to say thing are the way they are and there is no reason to keep finding little things to make them diferent. Refferring to all the suppositions that are being made in order to exaust the possibilities as to Luis and Diegos baby switch.

I don't think Raphael is drugged just very well behaved. Ha ha....I think they should (with the cymbals crashing, of course) just rip the pants off both Diego and Luis and see who has a really big..... scar. That would satisfy my curiosity and it would be one heck of an ending. Am I the only one who sort of giggles when the announcer says "ALBORADA" in the dramatic voice before commercials?? No matter how many times he does it I still laugh. I guess I'm easily amused...ALBORADA!!!

OK, after much vacillation I bought these DVDs for $100 at ebay. If we re-gather at the new telenovela blog site I will post how they are. And dangit with some special software I understand I should be able grab whatever screen capture we want.

I also love that long hair on Fernando. But my expectation is that he cuts it; all other photos I've seen of the man he has it short.

Man, I wish I'd found this blog while the telenovela was still on. My Spanish isn't half bad, but I still found myself trying to figure out what the hell was going on with various plot lines. Not that that's a requirement or anything to enjoy the show! All the comments here on Fernando Colunga's shirtless scene cracked me up. A friend of mine also watched and uses Tivo - she said she kept replaying that scene. Did anyone catch the after-show Christina clips of Fernando working out and wearing a Speedo??? Ay, caray caray!

"Every day above ground is a good day."
I'm an eccentric musician living in the woods with Hector and Jethro the donkeys, a bunch of chickens, and my son Ezra. I have a a world music klezmer cabaret band
Mappamundi and a related project in Yiddish theater music. Please visit us at Triangle area
wedding ensembles. Find me on Google+! I often wonder if I was supposed to have lived some different life. I live in the woods and study Spanish, Yiddish, and painting.